# Ask for Follow

Ask customers to follow your account before the link is sent, using the Opening Message and Ask for Follow.

The product link is only sent after the customer follows your Instagram account.

{% dm-demo caption="Customers who don't follow yet are asked to follow before they get the link" %}
comment: rara.learns: EBOOK
bot: Hi! The Selling on Instagram ebook is ready to send 📘 Want the link now? [Yes, please!]
user: Yes, please!
bot: This ebook is just for @sebelumkreatif followers 🙏 Please follow us first, then tap the button below. [I've followed ✅]
user: I've followed ✅
bot: Looks like you haven't followed yet 🙈 Follow @sebelumkreatif first, then tap this button again. [I've followed ✅]
time: rara.learns started following you
user: I've followed ✅
bot: Hi! Thanks for your comment. Here's the link to the Selling on Instagram ebook you asked for, just tap the button below. [Click Here]
{% enddm-demo %}

Customers who already follow you get the link right after tapping the Opening Message button. Ask for Follow only works when the **Opening Message** is turned on.

{% embed url="https://youtu.be/sqMbKvBdK0U" %}

*The video is in Indonesian. The steps below walk through the same setup in English.*

This guide builds on the automation from [Set Up Comment to DM](/instagram/comment-to-dm).

## Setting up the Opening Message and Ask for Follow

1. On the **Instagram Comment to DM** page, click the **⋮** icon on the automation you want to change, then choose **Edit**.

![Open the automation menu, then Edit](/assets/instagram/jenis-pesan-01-ubah.png)

2. Under **Additional Features**, turn on **Opening Message**. If you don't see Additional Features yet, click **Show Additional Features** first. While the Opening Message is off, Ask For Follow can't be turned on, and tapping it shows *"Opening message must be enabled to use this feature"*.

![Ask For Follow is locked until the Opening Message is turned on](/assets/instagram/ask-follow-01-terkunci.png)

3. Write the opening **Message** and its **Button Label**. Write a message that invites the customer to tap the button, for example *"Hi! The Selling on Instagram ebook is ready to send 📘 Want the link now?"* with the label *Yes, please!*

![Write the opening message and its button label](/assets/instagram/ask-follow-02-pesan-pembuka.png)

4. Turn on **Ask For Follow**.
5. Write the **Message** asking the customer to follow, then fill in the **Button Label**, for example *I've followed ✅*. The customer taps this button after following your account.

![Turn on Ask For Follow, then write its message](/assets/instagram/ask-follow-03-aktifkan.png)

6. **Recommended:** under **Still not following?**, click **Add Fallback Message**, then write a message for customers who tap the button but haven't actually followed yet, for example *"Looks like you haven't followed yet 🙈 Follow @sebelumkreatif first, then tap this button again."* Click the trash icon if you want to remove it.

![The message for people who haven't followed yet](/assets/instagram/ask-follow-04-belum-follow.png)

7. Check the whole flow in the **Preview**, then click **Update Automation**.

![Save the changes](/assets/instagram/ask-follow-05-simpan.png)

{% hint style="info" %}
If you later turn off the Opening Message, Ask For Follow turns off automatically too. Turn both back on if you want to use them again.
{% endhint %}

## Tips

- Mention your account's username in the Ask for Follow message, for example *Follow @sebelumkreatif first*, so customers know which account to follow.
- Use a clear button label, such as *I've followed ✅*, so customers know to tap it after following.
- Turn on [Reply to Comments](/instagram/comment-to-dm/balas-komentar) too, because DMs from accounts customers don't follow land in their **Message Requests**.

***

Go back to [Set Up Comment to DM](/instagram/comment-to-dm), or see [Message Types](/instagram/comment-to-dm/jenis-pesan) and [Reply to Comments](/instagram/comment-to-dm/balas-komentar).